The speed of light is often accepted as 186,282.4 miles per second (about 299,792,458 meters per second). It’s so fast that the sharpest human mind can’t even fathom. The closest we can get to observing such a force of nature is this incredible simulation.
The simulation is shown through a helpful YouTube video, uploaded by Airplane Mode, that breaks things down so we understand. A message at the beginning of the video states, “What would it look like to go around the Earth once at the speed of light?” The video shows what it would look like if you were to board an airplane that traveled at light speed.
In the video, the camera spins over the Earth as it asks viewers to guess the estimate of light speed. Then, the clip reveals what it would look like – 0.13 seconds (or about eight frames). It takes us longer to blink than for light speed to travel around Earth once.
If an object were to travel at the speed of light around Earth, it would complete 7.5 orbits per second at the Earth’s surface. It’s difficult for the human mind to process how fast the speed actually is. However, it’s not difficult for one to be fascinated by this incredible fact. Science has proved that it only takes eight minutes for light to reach Earth from the Sun.
The video, originally posted last year, has blown people away. One viewer commented: “That’s crazy I looked up in the sky when you did it and I saw the little light beam! It was cool to see it was very quick!”
Another viewer commented: “This helps to grasp the scale of the universe. It’s truly astonishing.”
